PEOPLE in Wales watch more satellite television than the rest of the UK, figures showed yesterday.

Last year more than half of Welsh households (52%) paid for television services. This was 3% more than the UK average.

Of these, 79% had satellite TV. That figure was 14% more than the average across the UK.

But this does not mean that the Welsh watch more television than anyone else.

During 2007, people in Wales spent 8% less time watching TV overall than counterparts in the rest of the UK at 3.3 hours a day.

Average viewing levels have also fallen faster in Wales, shrinking by 6% since 2003, compared to a fall of 3% across the UK.

BBC One was the most-watched channel in Wales, reaching 23% of homes, followed by ITV1 with a 20% share, according to Ofcom’s Communications Market Report for Wales.

However, the five main public-service broadcasting channels in Wales attracted a collective share of only 59% (62% if the full Channel 4 service is included) – the lowest share of any nation.

Digital radio listening is increasing in Wales. Around one in seven (14%) individuals in Wales own a DAB digital radio set.

Almost a third (32%) of listeners in Wales say they used digital TV to listen to radio stations in 2007. With one in seven (14%) listening to radio via the internet, this is lower than in England (22%) and Scotland (21%), but higher than in Northern Ireland (13%).

Around a quarter (24%) of adults in Wales have used the internet to watch TV or video content, rising to 36% in Cardiff. This compares with 30% across the UK as a whole.